Barge-unloading apparatus



May '31, 1927.

I. A. RYAN BARGE UNLOADING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-She et 1 III.

Filed Sept. 10. 1926 May 31,1927.

. 1,631,065 I. A. RYAN BARGE UNLOADING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 10. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 31, 1927.

UNITED STATES ISAAC A. RYAN, OF IRONTON, OHIO.

BARGE-UNLOADING APPARATUS- Application filed September 10, 1926. Serial No. 134,699.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus particularly adapted for unloading rolls of wire, kegs of nails and other commodities from moored barges, although capable of general use for unloading purposes.

A difficulty heretofore met with in unloading barges has been that the barges draw such a great quantity of water, when loaded, that they had to be located or moored quite a distan ce from the shore or bank, and due to this fact and the nature of unloading devices heretofore devised, the commodities had to be unloaded from the barge onto some sort of floating docks from which the commodities weresubsequently transferred to the shore. I

The prin'iary obj ect of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an improved barge unloading apparatus by means of which. commodities may be conveniently and effectively unloaded from a barge direct to the bank or shore without requiring the place- 7 ment of either a floating or permanent dock at a point between the shore and the barge.

Another serious objection to barge unloading apparatus heretofore devised, has been that the same are of such nature and construction as to not be expeditiously and conveniently manipulated and controlled, in addition to the fact that such prior apparatus further required attention for manipulation at the intermediate floating or per-.

manentdock and, some times also at the shore or bank, in addition to control and manipulation on the barge.

Another object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide an improved barge unloading apparatus which may be conveniently and expeditiously manipulated and controlled entirely from a point or points upon the barge being unloaded.

A still further object is to provide a barge unloading apparatus which may be convenlently changed from operative to'lnoperative condition 1n an expeditious manner and by persons located upon the barge entirely, and wherein the unloading apparatus embodies a conveyor composed of relatively vertically adjustable sections capable of being readily manipulated by attendants upon the barge to suit various conditions generally, and

varying conditions met with as the unloading operation proceeds.

A still further ob ect of the lnvention,

generally, is to provide a generally improved and commercially practical loading or 12.11 H

loading apparatus having many novel and advantageous features of construction so as to meet with all of the requirements for a successful commercial use either as an unl0adthroughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational View of a barge equipped with an unloading apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention and arranged in an inoperative position upon the barge;

FigureQ is a transverse sectional view of the device shown in Figure 1 with the conveyor of the unloading apparatus disposed in an operative position, the head section of the conveyor being shown in full lines in an operative relation with a temporary shore platformrand by dotted lines in an operative association with a car located upon an elevated track; 7

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary trans verse sectional view showing a portion of the structure illustrated in Figure 2 on a larger scale to more clearly reveal details of construction;

Figure 4- is a fragmentary side elevational view showing an end portion of the tail section of the conveyor together with the associated-driving motor of the conveyor and its support; i

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section and partly in side elevation,

illustrating the means for securing the motor support in its various adjusted positions relative to the tail section of the conveyor;

and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of an end portion of the head section of the conveyor.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 5 indicates a conventional formof barge or the like having a deck 6 and a suitable hold '7 from which the commodities are to be unloaded onto a. shore platform or the like.

1 In accordance with the present invention,

the barge is provided with a travelling crane embodying a carriage constructed of suitable side supports 8 rigidly connected by transverse beam or bridge 9 and having longitudinal projecting foot pieces 10 provided with flanged wheels 11 arranged in tandem relation at the side of the carriage and adapted to ride on track rails 12 mount ed longitudinally of and upon opposite sides of the barge deck so as to extend substantially from end to end of the latter. It will thus be seen that the carriage of the travelling crane spans the hold 7 of the barge and is movable longitudinally of the deck from substantiallyend to end of the barge so that commodities may be unloaded from any or all portions of the hold 7 through the use of a conveyor carried by the crane as will presently be described.

i A transverse elevated rail 13 is rigidly supported by the bridge so as to overlie the projecting ends of the foot pieces as shown more clearly in Figure 1.

The present apparatus further embodies a flexible conveyor composed of relatively vertically movable and adjustable head and tail frame sections 1 1 and 15, respectively, adjacent ends of the sections being pivoted together upon a horizontal axis as indicated at 16. This conveyor is generaly of a well known type embodying an endless conveying element of suitable construction movable between the sides of the frame sections 14 and 15 and passing about the head shaft 17 at the outer end of the head section 14 and about the foot shaft 18 at the free or outer end of the tail section 15, with which foot shaft 18 said endless conveying element has driving connection so as to be caused to travel upon rotation of said foot shaft. As the detailed con truction of this conveyor may be greatly varied and is generally well known in the art, further detailed showing and description thereof is believed unnecessary, to a clear and sufficient understanding of the present invention.

A chain hoist 19, or the equivalent, is employed for bodily suspendingthe conveyor from the rail 13 of the carriage, a d is adapted for manipulation to bodily raise or lower the conveyor as found necessary. This chain hoist embodies a block supporting carriage 2O movable on the transverse elevated rail 13, and fleXible hoist chain of the usual form associated with the block'2l and connected at its lower free ends with the upper end of a link or bar 22 whose lower end is pivotally attached to the inner adjacent end, of the head sect-ion 14 of the conveyor as indicated at 23. It will thus be seen that with the conveyor suspended from the flexible hoist line of the hoist 19 in this manner, said conveyor may be readily swung about a vertical axis so as to either extend ure 2 or longitudinally thereof as shown in Figure 1. The tail section 15 being adapted to swing beneath the bridge 9 when the conveyor is swung from the operative transverse position of Figure 2 to the inoperative stored away position of Figure 1.

The hand hoist mechanism generally indicated at 2% may be mounted upon the shore end of the bridge 9 with its hoist line 25 extended to and suitably connected to the head sect-ion 14: of the conveyor near the outer end of the latter, so that said head section of the conveyor maybe readily vertically adjusted by being swung vertically about the pivot 16. In a like manner, a suitable hoist generally indicated at 26 may berprovided with a block supporting carriage 27 movable along the elevated rail 13, the'hoist line 28 or" the hoist 26 being attached at its lower end to the outer end of the tail section 15 of the conveyor so that the latter may be conveniently vertically adjusted or raised or lowered by being swung about the pivot 16. 5

It will be seen, upon inspection of Figure 2, that the head section l tmay be disposed with its inner end resting upon the adjacent projecting end of one of the foot pieces 10 of the carriage when the conveyor is arranged in its transverse or operative loading position, the outer end ofsaid head section 14 being at this time disposed to rest upon a temporary shore platform 29 or upon the floor of a railway car 30 located upon an elevated track as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2. V

l Vhen the conveyor is arranged in an in operative position longitudinally the barge deck, the conveyor sections are adapted to be disposed inhorizontal aligned relation, and they may rest upon suitable transverse beams 31 laid at intervals across the rails 12 of the crane carriage tracks. To bring the conveyor from the inoperative position oi. Figure 1 to the operative position of Figure 2, the chain hoist 19. is manipulated so as to bodily elevate the conveyor, where upon the latter may be readily swung around to the transverse position of Figure 2 with the tail section 15 in the dotted line position of said figure, and with the conveyor elevated and with the conveyor head section 14 elevated so as. to be out of contact with the adjacent footpiece 10 and the loading platform 29. The chain hoist 19 is then manipulated so as to allow the conveyor to bodily lower until the ends of the head section 1 1- contact and restfupon the adjacent foot piece 10 and the platform 29, whereupon the hoist 26 is manipulated so as to lower the tail section 15 of the conveyor into position for loading material or commodities from the hold 7 of the barge. The conveyor is then placed into operation in a manner which will presently become apparent so that the commodities are transferred from the barge to the shore, the hoists 26 being manipulated as found necessary for lower ingthe tail section 15 as the unloading operation proceeds. This operation may be continued for unloading the entire hold of the barge by bodily raising the conveyor at intervals and moving it longitudinally of the barge by causing the frame carriage to travel along the rails 12 from end to end of the hold 7. Naturally, the hoist 24 may be manipulated in case the head section 14 is to be lowered from a horizontal position to engage a door platform, or is to be raised for such purpose or to be preferably associated with 'an elevated car or the like.

However. it is to be particularly noted that the bodily raising or lowering of the conveyor is solely effected by the single chain hoist 19, the hoists 26 and 24 being simply employed for the relative vertical adjustment of the conveyor section or for vertically swinging the latter about the pivot con nection 16. Naturally, by causing the carriages 20 and 27 to traverse the rail 13, the outer end of the tail section 15 may be caused to traverse the hold 7 of the barge for more convenient unloading.

In order to assist in sustaining the weight of the conveyor sections 14 and; 15 when the latter are adjusted, downwardly diverging supporting rods 32 are preferably provided between the intermediate portions of the conveyor sections and the hoists bar 22, the

' lower end of the supporting rods 32 being adjustably engageable in desired ones of the apertures of keeper plates 33 attached to the respective conveyor sections. 7

As illustrated more clearly in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5, the driving of the endless conveying element of the conveyor is preferably accomplished by means of a suitable motor 34 having its power shaft operatively geared to the foot shaft 18 as generally indicated at 35, and mounted upon a suitable platform 36 carried by the outer or free end of the tail section 15. As an internal combustion is preferably employed as the motor 34, it is desirable to maintain the motor and consequently the platform 36 level or horizontal at all positions of the tail section 15 of the conveyor. For this purpose, the platform 36 is provided with vertical end plates 37 pivoted on the ends of foot shaft 18 so as to swing about the latter and provided with arcuate brackets 38 concentric with the shaft 18 and formed with longitudinal series of openings 39 adapted for seleotivereception of removable pins 40 engageable in end apertures of a transverse beam'or bar 41 rigid with the outer end portion of the tail section 15 of the conveyor. To elevate this adjustment, it will be seen that the platform 36 is disposed horizontally and at an angle to the tail section 15 in the full line position hoist,

of the latter in Figure2. However, when the tail section 15 is raised to the horizontal The pins 40.

are then replaced in the openings of the I beam or bar 41 and the apertures 39 of the brackets 38 then aligned therewith, whereupon the motor and platform are retained in their adjusted level positions.

' It will thus be seen that I have provided an unloading apparatus which may be conveniently and expeditiously manipulated and controlled from a single general point, such as upon the barge, and which may be employed for unloading with facility and ease as well as effectively. It will be further seen that the complete-unloading of a barge can be effected through the use of an apparatus of this construction with the expenditure of a minimum amount of manual labor, the construction of the apparatus being at the same time of an extremely simple and durable nature. 1

As shown more clearly in Figure 4, the driving connection 35 may consist of a sprocket gearing between an idler shaft and the engine shaft as indicated at 42, and a spur gearing between the idler shaft and the foot shaft 18, such spur gearing including a spur gear on the idler shaft movable with the latter about the foot shaft 18 and the spur gear carried by the latter, when the platform and motor are rotarily adjusted about the foot shaft.

From the foregoing description it is believed that the construction and operation as well as the advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is I 1. An apparatus of the class described including a traveling crane, having a chain a flexible power-driven conveyor freely suspended between its ends by the crane hoist for horizontal swinging movement and embodying connected head and tail sections relatively adjustable vertically, and means to independently vertically adjust said conveyor sections.

2. An unloading apparatus including a head and tail sections, a hoist movable on said elevated rail and having a hoist line connected to the intermediate portion of the conveyor for freely suspending the conveyor for horizontal swinging movement from the elevated rail and effecting raising or lowering of the same bodily, means to vertically adjust the head section of the conveyor, and means to vertically adjust the tail section of the conveyor.

In an unloading apparatus, a conveyor embodying head and tail sections pivotally connected for relative vertical swinging movements, a traveling crane including a chain hoist attached to the intermediate portion of the conveyor for freely suspending the latter for horizontal swinging movement and bodily raising or lowering the same, said crane further including a carriage having a bridge under which the conveyor tail section may pass upon horizontally swinging the conveyor when freely suspended in a raised position by the hoist, and means to independently vertically adjust the conveyorsections. V

4. In an unloading apparatus, a conveyor embodying head and tail sections pivotally connected for relative vertical swinging movements, a traveling crane including a chain hoist attached to the intermediate portion of the conveyor for freely suspending the latter for horizontal swinging movement and bodily raising or lowering the same, said crane further including a carriage having a bridge under which the conveyor tail section may pass upon horizontally swinging the conveyor when freely suspended in a raised position by the hoist, and means to independently vertically adjustthe con veyor sections, said last named means en bodying hoists supported by the crane and operatively connected to the outer end portions of the respective conveyor sections.

5. In an unloading apparatus, a conveyor embodying head and tail sections pivotally connected for relative vertical swinging movements, a traveling crane including a chain hoist attached to the intermediate portion of the conveyor for freely suspending and bodily raising or lowering the latter, said crane further including a carriage having a bridge under which the conveyor tail section may pass upon horizontally swinging the conveyor when freely suspended in a raised position by the hoist, means to independently vertically adjust the conveyor sections, said last named means embodying hoists supported by the crane and operativel connected to the respective conve or sections, and an elevated transverse rail supported by the crane carriage, said chain hoist and the hoist for adjusting the conveyor tail section having supporting carriages movable on the elevated rail.

6. In an unloading apparatus, a conveyor embodying head and tail sections pivotally connected for relative vertical swinging movements, a traveling crane including a chain hoist attached to the intermediate ortion of the conveyor for freely suspen ing and bodily raising or lowering the latter, said crane further including a carriage having a bridge under which the conveyor tail section may pass upon horizontally swinging the conveyor when freely suspended in a raised position by the hoist, and means to independently vertically adjust the conveyor sections, said crane carriage having side foot pieces provided with flanged track engaging wheels and having projecting ends, the inner end of the conveyor headsection being positionable to rest on the projecting end of one of said foot pieces when the conveyor is positioned transversely of the line of travel of the carriage for unloading.

7. A bar -e unloading apparatus including track rails arranged on and longitudinally of the large deck at opposite sides of the barge hold, a carriage straddling the barge hold and movable on said rails, a powerdriven conveyor having relatively vertically adjustable head and tail sections, and a chain hoist bodily suspending the conveyor from said carriage for horizontal swinging movement so that the conveyor may be positioned longitudinally of the barge deck to rest upon beams laid across the rails or transversely of the barge with the conveyor head section extending from a side of the barge toward shore and with the conveyor tail sect-ion disposed to lower into the barge hold. I

8. A barge unloading apparatus including track rails arranged on and longitudinally of the barge deck at opposite sides of the barge hold, a carriage straddling the barge hold and movable on said rails, a powerdriven conveyor having relatively vertically adjustable head and tail sections, a chain hoist bodily suspending theconveyor from;

said carria'ge for horizontal swinging movement so that the conveyor may-be positioned longitudinallyof the barge deck to rest upon beams laid across the rails or transversely of the barge wit-l1 the conveyor head section extending from a' side of the barge toward shore and with the conveyor tai section disposed to lower into the barge hold, said carriage embodying a bridge under which the conveyor tail section may pass when the conveyor is swung horizontally while suspended by the hoist in a raised position. v

9. A barge unloading apparatus including track rails arranged on and longitudinally of the barge deck at opposite sides of the barge hold, a carriage straddling the barge hold and movable on said rails, a powerdriven conveyor having relatively vertically adjustable head and tail sections, a chain hoist bodily suspending the conveyor from llO said carriage so that the conveyor may be positioned longitudinally of the barge deck to rest upon beams laid across the rails or transversely of the barge with the conveyor head section extending from a side of the barge toward shore and with the conveyor tail section disposed to lower into the barge hold, said carriage embodying a bridge under which the conveyor tail section may pass when the conveyor is swung horizontally while suspended by the hoist in a raised position, and an elevated rail extending from side to side of the barge and supported by the carriage! parallel with and at one side of said bridge, said hoist being movable on said elevated rail.

10. In combination, a barge, a traveling crane having a hoist and movable longitudinally of the barge deck, a power driven conveyor suspended intermediate its ends by the crane hoist for being bodily raised or lowered or swung horizontally to an unloading position transversely of the barge or to an inoperative position longitudinally of the barge deck, said conveyor embodying a swinging vertically adjustable tail section adapted to lower into the barge hold and a head section adapted to extend from one side of the barge to a shore platform when in unloading position.

11. In combination, a barge, a traveling crane having a hoist and movable longitudinally of the barge deck, and a flexible power-driven unloading conveyor bodily suspended by the crane hoist for horizontal swinging movement.

12. In combination, a barge, a traveling crane having a hoist and movable longitudinally of the barge deck, and a powerdriven unloading conveyor bodily suspended by the crane hoist, said crane embodying a carriage upon which the crane hoist is movable transversely of the barge.

13. In combination, a barge, and a powerdriven conveyor arranged transversely of and movable longitudinally of the barge deck and including a vertically swinging tail section adapted to lower into the barge hold and a head section adapted to extend from a side of the barge to a shore platform.

1%. In an unloading apparatus, conveyor of the endless carrier type including a vertically adjustable swinging tail section having a foot shaft rotatable for causing travel of the endless carrier, a motor support pivotally adjustable about said foot shaft for being positioned horizontally in any vertically swung adjustment of said tail section, and a motor on the support having driving connection with the foot shaft capable of being preserved in any position of adjustment of the support about the foot shaft.

15. In an unloading apparatus, a conveyor of the endless carrier type including a vertically adjustable swinging tail section having a foot shaftrotatable for causing travel of the endless carrier, a motor support rotarily adjustable about said foot shaft for being positioned horizontally in any vertically swung adjustment of said tail section, a motor on the support having driving connection with the foot shaft capable of being preserved in any position of adjustment of the support about the foot shaft, and adjustment retaining means for the motor support associated with the latter and the tail section of the conveyor.

In testimony whereof I a'liix my signature.

ISAAC RYAN. 

